Savings give hard time to seafarers

Danish Maritime Officers believe that the shipping companies are cutting expenses so much at the moment that it makes the sailors' life a misery.

Danish Maritime Officers believe that the shipping companies are cutting expenses so much at the moment that it makes the sailors' life a misery.

Danish Maritime Officers believe that the shipping companies are cutting expenses so much at the moment that it makes the sailors' life a misery. Savings include everything from the everyday laying of the table on board to therapy assistance. "It is always annoying when expenses must be cut. The sailors understand that the shipping companies have to save money, but they do not like it when provision of daily needs such as meals are cut", says secretariat manager of Danish Maritime Officers, Fritz Ganzhorn to Ritzau.

For instance, the sailors at A.P. Moller-Maersk no longer have free access to call Falck Health Care to talk to a psychologist anonymously, if something is bothering them.

"It can be about experiences onboard the ships or trouble at home which can remove focus from their work on board. It has been a good arrangement for the sailors, who often are away from home for a long time and who might need to talk to someone anonymously. I have my doubts on whether it is good thing to cut expenses on this welfare service. I do not think it is a proper initiative for life at sea. But A.P. Moller-Maersk has in its entire organisation put a heavy demand on the employees about cutting expenses", says Fritz Ganzhorn to the bureau.